Skoda have changed from a chain to a belt driven cam for the 1.2 and 1.4 Tsi engines. I believe the change was due to problems with tensioners wearing prematurely due to long service intervals. Anyone heard any other reason for the change? Seems a retrograde step to me!

I noticed this Sunday that Honest John (Telegraph) commented on this saying that after so many problems with chain / tensioners they had now started using belts. Probably not a retrograde step if they could not sort out the problems they were/are having with chains.

VG, I had chains on a Vitara (V6) which started to rattle after 31K miles. Only 2 months outside warranty and Suzuki would not pay or contribute to costs....£800.

Expatman obviously wasn't an A Series BMC tuner!!!

They really were rattling chains.

Why can't a multi billion pound company sort out a problem with chain tensioners?

Why can't a multi billion pound company sort out a problem with chain tensioners?

That's how they become ££££MMMMMM, by not handing any back.

Expatman obviously wasn't an A Series BMC tuner!!!

They really were rattling chains.

What do you mean!! Started with a convertible Morris Minor (so sophisticated), then an A30 and on to an original Mini then an Austin 1100 and a Morris Marina 1300 before I went to the wild side and an original Golf!! So I know A series engines having stripped more than one down for a de-coke and valve grind!!

I wouldn't worry too much about whether there is a belt or chain driving your engine. Be more concerned that the DMF may ping alongside your clutch-I've been hit for £1200-1500 with my last two cars (not Yetis but even the 1.2 petrol Yeti has one apparently!)

Being now a retired motorcycle mechanic of 41yrs in the trade, my past dislike with Ducati m/c belts was the very short life thay have, i.e most models the belts must be changed every 24months or 12,000 miles, ducatis have 2 of these fitted. The go faster ducati R models to be changed every year or 12,000 regardless of time or mileage. I knew of a customer who bought a s/h model from fleebay, rode it home around 100 miles ok, left to go to work the following morning, heard a slight noise from the motor and very redused power, A.A relayed the bike into my workshop, a strip down then discovered 1 snapped belt on the rear cylinder, 2 bent valves and a damaged valve seat. Going through the service histoy of this bike, belts had been replaced 3yrs before but had only covered around 3,500 miles, standing and old age is the killer of belts.. But on the subject of cam chains, no manufactor has yet to invent a 100% reliable tensioner system, being it manuael,or oilpressure feed system. I know this has nothing to do with yetis but the design system is the same. To belt up or get chained up.

Can anyone confirm the facelift Yeti 1.2Tsi comes with a belt cam as opposed to the originally specced

chain cam engine? A bit concerning, but with ongoing reports of problems with the chain cams maybe

a better longer term option.

Was of the  opinion that chain cams are supposed to be more reliable and safer.

What is the Skoda official mileage belt change cycle recommended if it is a belt and not a chain?

Edited 30 April, 201412 yr by kibby

Skoda have changed from a chain to a belt driven cam for the 1.2 and 1.4 Tsi engines. I believe the change was due to problems with tensioners wearing prematurely due to long service intervals. Anyone heard any other reason for the change? Seems a retrograde step to me!

How does the service interval affect the tensioners wearing?

 

Chain failures killed a few 1.8 TSI engines on the Octavia, most seem to have been on fixed regimes so that rules out variable services as the cause. More likely too long an interval between changes, and chains & tensioners not being changed when the should be.

Can anyone confirm the facelift Yeti 1.2Tsi comes with a belt cam as opposed to the originally specced

chain cam engine? A bit concerning, but with ongoing reports of problems with the chain cams maybe

a better longer term option.

Was of the  opinion that chain cams are supposed to be more reliable and safer.

What is the Skoda official mileage belt change cycle recommended if it is a belt and not a chain?

If it is the same engine,

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/278662-ea211-12tsi-engine/

 

I have read elsewhere that the Yeti 1.2 2014 is belt.

Sorry if this is double post but previous tries lost in the ether!!!

 

As engine EA211 is so different and lighter, strange that emissions, mpg and performance are unchanged...or am I missing something?

 

At least now easier to change bulbs without removing front end.

Edited 2 May, 201412 yr by kibby

Expatman obviously wasn't an A Series BMC tuner!!!

They really were rattling chains.

Graham is quite right Expatman!  Many higher performance A-series that were revved a bit, soon stretched the normal, single row chains, so the chain would rattle against the timing cover like a bag of nails. Indeed it was easy to tell if a well "used" Minor was approaching behind you, as the first thing you would hear would be the timing chain rattling along merrily. The solution was two-fold:

a) Fit a crankshaft nose vibration damper on the front pulley (the 3 main bearing A-series crank used to get a bit wobbly at higher revs, and that's what stretched the chain. Plus steel end caps on all the main bearings to hold the thing in place better.

Fit a stronger, dual row timing chain, as used by either the Cooper S or 1275/1300GT variants. The difference being that the CooperS components were made from much higher grade materials for both chains and sprockets (which also weighed almost double the identical looking 1275GT sprockets!)

 

Like everything else in motor manufacturing, its all down to cost. Single row chains and belts being much less cost to build than a more reliable double row chain. Down the line higher maintenance costs being the responsibility of the owner, not the manufacturer.  BMW 6-cyl engines used to have chains (double row from memory?), that lasted forever. Although they too had tensioner issues with more recent models that used a fixed tensioner design (cheaper again!) as distinct from an idler pulley/sprocket. I would need to look up what the modern 4-cyl engines out of Hams Hall use, chains or belts?

 

It would be interesting to know if more frequent oil change intervals (e.g. at half the recommended fixed interval, or half the variable) give significantly longer chain/tensioner life on chained engines?  If so, DIY oil and filter changes between main services could be a very cost effective way of prolonging tensioner life (and all sorts of other items, like DPF, etc.)